This disclosure is related to transmitting alarms and, more particularly, to a system and method for transmitting a triggered alarm regarding a portion of an asset (such as a truck, car or ship). As an asset travels along a route, various events may occur to the asset, an operator of the asset, and goods being transported by the asset. These events may adversely affect the state of the asset, operator, and goods and/or may cause a delivery delay or loss of the asset and goods.
Prior art systems for handling events relating to an asset include U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,161 in which an automobile is controlled to GPS-based centimeter accuracy in a fully integrated collision avoidance and warning system which detects targets in all directions, develops collision avoidance maneuvers through use of fuzzy logic inference rules and is capable of reliable automatic control in a multiple target, high speed, on-the-highway environment. GPS-based communications between vehicles and between individual vehicles and motor vehicle control centers, directly, or indirectly via an intermediate receiver, such as via a satellite, is possible for optimum real time dissemination of vehicle location and movement vectors and related vehicular data to permit real time calculation of imminent dangerous situations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,559 describes a system for monitoring the flight safety of an aircraft. A monitoring device, having a monitoring unit to be attached to an aircraft, is accommodated in a pod. Sensors for measuring aircraft data independently of the sensors of the aircraft itself are provided in the monitoring unit. There is a device for automatically monitoring the operation of the technical equipment of the monitoring unit. In addition, the monitoring unit contains a system for automatically monitoring the pilot""s reactions on the basis of aircraft data provided by the independent sensors. Furthermore, the monitoring unit contains a device which responds to deviations of the aircraft from the range of safe flight states. This device triggers an alarm. There is a device responding to the aircraft inadmissibly approaching ground and a collision warning device, which responds to the risk of collision with other aircraft. Also these devices trigger an alarm in the case of danger.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,974 describes a security system that comprises a mobile unit which communicates emergency data including position coordinates, and a central dispatch station which receives the emergency data and accurately displays all necessary emergency information superposed on a digitized map at a position corresponding to the location of the mobile unit. A device for expediting a response by the appropriate authorities whenever and wherever the personal security of a mobile person is compromised is disclosed. The device includes a mobile communication unit and a central station. The mobile communication unit is transported with the mobile person and is triggered by the occurrence of a variety of personal security conditions to establish cellular telephone contact with the central station. The mobile communication unit then communicates longitude and latitude coordinates, emergency, and personal information to the central station.
These prior art systems, however, do not disclose transmitting a triggered alarm detected by a sensor on an asset that comprises a circuit containing a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, a wireless communication unit, a processing unit, a sensor unit and a storage unit operably coupled to one another.
A prior art system describing a circuit containing a GPS receiver is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,684. In this circuit, a GPS receiver""s digital signal processing circuitry is incorporated with a microcomputer including its associated peripherals, (e.g., real time clock, serial input/output controllers, analog-to-digital converters, et cetera). As such, circuitry for digital signal processing and an associated microprocessor are combined.
This prior art system, however, does not disclose a storage unit that comprises locations of the asset on a predefined route where events are expected, and wherein the wireless communication unit comprises a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver.
Therefore, an improved system and method is desired to reduce or eliminate these limitations and complexities.
In response to these and other limitations, a unique system and method for transmitting a triggered alarm detected by a sensor on an asset is presented. In one embodiment, the alarm is detected by a sensor on an asset that includes a circuit containing a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, a wireless communication unit, a processing unit, a sensor unit and a storage unit operably coupled to one another. The storage unit comprises locations of the asset on a predefined route where events (such as, for example, a door of an asset opening) are expected and the wireless communication unit comprises a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver. The sensor monitors a portion of the asset (such as, for example, the doors of the asset) while the asset travels along the predefined route. If the portion of the asset triggers an alarm, a current location of the asset is received via the GPS receiver and the event is compared with the locations of the asset on the predefined route. If the event is not expected at the current location, the wireless transmitter sends the alarm and the unexpected event to a data processing system.
These advantages, as well as others which will become apparent, are described in greater detail with respect to the drawings and the following disclosure.